(Re)designing the Continuum of Care for Older Adults


Book Description

This book broadens the visioning on new care environments that are designed to be inclusive, progressive, and convergent with the needs of an aging population. The contents cover a range of long-term care (LTC) settings in a single collection to address the needs of a wide audience. Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, rethinking the spatial design of care facilities in order to prepare for future respiratory and contagious pathogens is one of the prime concerns across the globe, along with social connectedness and autonomy in care settings. This book contributes to the next generation of knowledge and understanding of the growing field of the design of technology, programs, and environments for LTC that are more effective in infection prevention and control as well as social connectedness. To address these issues, the chapters are organized in four sections: Part I: Home- and community-based care; Part II: Facility-based care; Part III: Memory care and end-of-life care; and Part IV: Evidence-based applied projects and next steps. (Re)designing the Continuum of Care for Older Adults: The Future of Long-Term Care Settings is an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and students associated with LTC home and healthcare settings. With diverse topics in theory, substantive issues, and methods, the contributions from notable researchers and scholars cover a range of innovative programming, environments, and technologies which can impact the changing needs and support for older adults and their families across the continuum of care.




Retooling for an Aging America


Book Description

As the first of the nation's 78 million baby boomers begin reaching age 65 in 2011, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and woefully unprepared to meet their specific health needs. Retooling for an Aging America calls for bold initiatives starting immediately to train all health care providers in the basics of geriatric care and to prepare family members and other informal caregivers, who currently receive little or no training in how to tend to their aging loved ones. The book also recommends that Medicare, Medicaid, and other health plans pay higher rates to boost recruitment and retention of geriatric specialists and care aides. Educators and health professional groups can use Retooling for an Aging America to institute or increase formal education and training in geriatrics. Consumer groups can use the book to advocate for improving the care for older adults. Health care professional and occupational groups can use it to improve the quality of health care jobs.




Families Caring for an Aging America


Book Description

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.




Handbook on Aging and Place


Book Description

Moving away from studies of aging in place, this forward-looking Handbook focuses on aging and place, offering a broader scope and more nuanced, complex and enlightening understanding of these two intertwined universals of human experience. Not only examining the latest literature, the chapters also challenge current thinking on the many intersections, opportunities and issues around place and aging that need to be addressed through policy and practice.




Practice & Leadership in Nursing Homes


Book Description

“This in-depth, evidence-based roadmap to high-quality care in nursing homes is a powerful compilation of the expertise of leaders in our field. This is a must-read!” –Heather M. Young, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA Professor, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis “I highly recommend this exceptional book. It’s timely, comprehensive, and written by distinguished authors and interprofessional contributors who are among the very best in the field.” –Kathleen (Kitty) Buckwalter, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor of Research & Distinguished Nurse Scientist in Aging Donald W. Reynolds Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, College of Nursing Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center Professor Emerita, University of Iowa College of Nursing Long-term care settings are highly regulated environments where the emphasis historically has been on compliance. Many misconceptions persist about practice in nursing homes, and these go largely unaddressed within nursing education programs. Herein lines one of the significant barriers to improving nursing home care. Practice & Leadership in Nursing Homes dispels many misconceptions and provides a foundation for clinical practice in a unique, exciting setting—illustrating how high-quality nursing care can result in positive resident outcomes. This book challenges educators and students to look beyond incorrect perceptions and negative attitudes to see a vibrant, growing healthcare sector ripe for nurses to make an impact and build rewarding careers. Expert authors cover the following and more: · Comprehensive care planning · Models of care delivery · Common geriatric syndromes · Staff development and training · Nursing home financing and regulatory information ABOUT THE AUTHORS JoAnne Reifsnyder, PhD, MSN, MBA, RN, FAAN, is Professor, Health Services Leadership and Management, at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She has held executive and leadership roles in hospice, hospice-related medication management, and skilled nursing. Ann Kolanowski, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor Emerita at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and conducts research on nonpharmacological interventions for symptoms of distress and delirium in people living with dementia in nursing homes. Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Distinguished Service Professor and Dean Emeritus (Nursing) at the University of Pittsburgh. She was the founding Co-chair of the Implementation Steering Committee for the 2021 Essentials for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.




Sustainable Ageing


Book Description




Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults


Book Description

Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.




Shaping the Future of Automation With Cloud-Enhanced Robotics


Book Description

In a world where automation is quickly becoming a standard, a significant challenge arises – the need for robots to overcome their inherent limitations in processing power and storage. This bottleneck restricts their potential for innovation and collaboration, hindering the realization of true autonomous capabilities. The burgeoning field of Cloud Robotics promises a revolutionary solution by seamlessly integrating robots with cloud-based technologies. This integration empowers robots to offload computation tasks, tap into vast data resources, and engage in real-time collaboration with their mechanical counterparts. Existing literature often falls short of providing a holistic understanding of the complex interplay between robotics and cloud computing. Researchers, academics, and industry professionals find themselves grappling with fragmented insights, hindering their ability to harness the full potential of cloud-enhanced robotics. The lack of a centralized resource leaves a void, impeding progress and innovation in this groundbreaking field. Without a roadmap to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by cloud robotics, stakeholders risk being left behind in an era where interdisciplinary collaboration is paramount. Enter Shaping the Future of Automation With Cloud-Enhanced Robotics, a beacon of knowledge designed specifically for academics, researchers, and industry professionals seeking to unlock the transformative power of cloud robotics. From fundamental principles to advanced applications, each chapter meticulously unravels the intricacies of cloud infrastructure, communication protocols, data management, human-robot interaction, and more. By addressing challenges and proposing solutions, this book not only disseminates recent advancements but also equips readers with actionable insights. Real-world examples and case studies illuminate the practical applications and benefits of cloud-enhanced robotics, making it an indispensable guide for professionals aiming to implement these innovations in their operations.




Aging Well


Book Description

This open access book outlines the challenges of supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults around the world and offers examples of solutions designed by stakeholders, healthcare providers, and public, private and nonprofit organizations in the United States. The solutions presented address challenges including: providing person-centered long-term care, making palliative care accessible in all healthcare settings and the home, enabling aging-in-place, financing long-term care, improving care coordination and access to care, delivering hospital-level and emergency care in the home and retirement community settings, merging health and social care, supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers, creating communities and employment opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to those of all ages and abilities, and combating the stigma of aging. The innovative programs of support and care in Aging Well serve as models of excellence that, when put into action, move health spending toward a sustainable path and greatly contribute to the well-being of older adults.




Health Care for Older Adults


Book Description

In recent decades, life expectancy has been increasing. This is a historical milestone in the history of humanity. We have never lived so long before. In these circumstances, giving the best care to older adults efficiently is one of the greatest challenges of developed countries. This book explores different initiatives that result in the improvement of health conditions of older adults, such as multicomponent physical exercise programs, interventions that try to avoid loneliness and social isolation, and multidisciplinary assessment, and the treatment of frailty and other geriatric syndromes, of the elderly in various settings such as the Emergency Unit, Orthogeriatrics, and Oncogeriatrics. This book offers different manuscripts to readers, each trying to improve life satisfaction, quality of life, and life expectancy in older adults in different scenarios. It is up to us to achieve these goals. We are sure that these interesting chapters will contribute to improving clinical practices. Following the completion of the Special Issue "Health Care for Older Adults" for the international Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the Guest Editors felt the satisfaction of having reached 18 published manuscripts and the possibility of transforming this volume into a book. This book was born from the need to show how health and social advances have increased human longevity as never before. We live longer, knowing more and more the epigenetic mechanisms of this longevity, as extended aging also coexists with the least favorable aging trajectories. Among them, a syndrome stands out from the gerontological and geriatric perspective: frailty. Due to the pandemic, a social problem has increased its presence in clinical practice: ageism. Older adults have found it difficult to access the necessary clinical resources due to the simple matter of age. However, at this moment, we are able to detect and to reverse frailty. In the same way, we should aim to prevent loneliness and social isolation, involved in social frailty. Geriatric syndromes are underdiagnosed and undertreated, but clinical and geriatric knowledge provide diagnostic tools and non-pharmacological approaches to prevent and to treat them. All health professionals working together in an interdisciplinary team could improve the clinical practices to develop a quality health care for older adults, improving their life satisfaction and quality of life perception too.